He said: “This idea of Governors, President or Vice President slashing their salaries, I think it is alluring and a lot of people will welcome it.

“But I will caution that there is going to be a process here, the salaries of the President, Vice President and Governors are not set by them and they actually don’t have the powers under the law to cut their own salaries.

“That is done by the Revenue mobilisation, allocation and fiscal commission.”

Professor of law emphasized that there was no law that allowed the Nigerian leader to cut his salary.

Odinkalu said that for the president, vice president and governors there should be a review of the constitution to authorize them to take such decisions.

“What will happen is that they can collect their salaries and decide to donate 50 per cent of that back to the state. We need a system to get that money and be able to use it for public purpose,” he added.

“Let us not because of populism do something that is not authorised by law.